Just Another Romance Story
by ShadowKitKat11
Summary: The story of an evolving romance between our favorite broody elf and sarcastic mage. Love triangle starring: AndersXHawke F XFenris! Done in short chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hey guys, I'm really excited for this fanfic! I'm posting it in short (for me) snippets and basically playing this by ear, so please R&R, and if you have an idea or request for a scenario, feel free to tell me and I'll make it happen! (Dang, I'm just like a genie, ain't I? :D)_

_Disclaimer: I do __**NOT**__ own Dragon Age 2 or any of its characters. ….Even if I wish I did…._

The city of Kirkwall wasn't the picturesque paradise the Ferelden refugees had envisioned. The city was an unwholesome brown, with the smell of manure and rotting sewage coating every square inch.

A rickety old boat moored into the Gallows of the ancient slave city. Sad and weathered faces emerged, desperate hope clinging to them like their skin clung to their bones. These were the survivors of the Blight, shell-shocked and weary. Their eyes were vacant, and their beaten spirits weighed heavily with the grief of losing loved ones to the darkspawn.

A group of four, three women and a man, cautiously made their way into the blinding sunshine.

The first woman would have had a matronly air about her, but her back was bowed, and her lank, graying hair and grieving brown eyes betrayed great hardship and tragedy.

The man was broad shouldered, looking about nineteen in age, and had pitch black hair and deep, blue eyes the color of a pool in the summer sun. He had a disagreeable look to him, and his hand constantly strayed to the pommel of his broadsword.

The last two women had a strength of character that was immediately noticeable. The first was tall and had a warrior's grace to her. Her hair was sparkling scarlet, and her blank eyes an emerald green. Her face gave almost nothing away, but by the slight tightening of her face one could tell she had suffered greatly.

The other woman also had red hair, with a coppery shade to it. Her eyes were like chips of pale blue ice, and her mouth was set in a wry twist as she observed everything around her. By the set of her slim shoulders, she was identified as the leader of the small group.

"They're not going to let us in, Mother." The man spoke up, his face dark with indignation.

"But they must!" The old woman gasped. "We've no where else to go, not with the Blight in Ferelden!"

"It's true, though. See? They are turning everyone away." The warrior woman murmured, green eyes downcast.

"I can't believe it!"

"I certainly can," The leader sighed, her eyes flinty. "Looks like I may have to do something drastic."

"We have family here!" The old woman continued, wringing her hands. "They _must_ let us in if Gamlen comes!"

"We'll ask the city guards if they can find him," the warrior promised, soothing the obviously terrified woman.

"Let's get moving then." The man glowered. "I don't fancy waiting out here in the sun for a miracle."

"Relax, Carver. We'll get there." The leading woman spoke again, shooting the dark haired man a warning look.

"Well, I hope our resident _genius_ can get us into the city with her obviously _brilliant_ plan that she just cooked up." The newly dubbed Carver sneered sarcastically.

The woman grinned, icy blue eyes lighting up mischievously as if a fire had ignited within. "There's always a plan, little brother. Don't you worry, I'll get us in without _too_ much bloodshed."

"Have it your way, Kira."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story 'cept the plot and Kira**_

Lowtown was almost peaceful at night, unlike it was in the day time, where all the hustle and bustle of men and women drowned out almost any other noise, and the shoppers crowded the streets, looking for affordable prices. The occasional scuffle in the dark with burglars and muggers were the only sources of noise.

Fenris didn't particularly care about the so-called peace, as long as it didn't disturb his search. Woe to any poor fool who would think him an easy target by his slim body and lack of weapons. They would soon find out that he didn't necessarily need a sword to kill.

The elf glanced at the coins in his tattooed palm, glinting in the pale moonlight. He had stolen them not too long ago off the body of an unfortunate footpad who had thought to waylay him in a dark alleyway. The coins would easily convince the damn dwarf to provide the distraction he needed to eradicate the Tevinter hunters.

Sticking to the shadows, Fenris made his way towards the Lowtown Bazaar, where his unwitting patron would be attempting to sell his wares to the various no-do-gooders of Kirkwall.

"Anso." Fenris spoke the dwarf's name with deliberate harshness.

"W-who's there?" The bug-eyed dwarf squeaked, jumping in fright. "I-I tell you, I have done nothing wrong!"

"Stop your senseless gibbering." The elf snapped, stepping out of the shadows. "I have a job for you."

The moonlight emphasized his white hair- though he was clearly young- and his blue tinted tattoos, which started at his chin and seemed to cover his entire body, down to his bare feet. Anso started, his bulging eyes immediately drawn to the lethal looking claws of his gauntlets.

"A-at your leisure, sir," the dwarf stammered. "What is this job?"

"I need a distraction in the Elven Alienage within a fortnight. A very _successful_ distraction." Fenris's voice was surprisingly deep for his slight build.

"W-what kind of distraction, good sir?" Anso stuttered unintelligently.

The elf's moss green eyes narrowed. "A good enough one that will leave Tevinter slave hunters without a chance of survival."

The dwarf twitched. "I suppose there is _someone_…. But her name seems to be slipping my mind…." The unspoken demand hung in the air for a moment.

Fenris glared at him with disgust, but handed over a coin. "Her?" He questioned curiously.

Anso snatched the coin eagerly from his hand. "Ah, my memory seems to be clearing up. Yes, her name is Kira. Kira Hawke. A very skilled fighter. She's working for the mercenary group, the Red Irons right now, until her debt to get into the city is paid off."

"Interesting. Exactly how well can she fight?"

"It is told that she took down an ogre during the Blight in Ferelden." Anso replied, rubbing the coin in his palm.

"A mighty feat," Fenris mused. "Perhaps she can take down the hunters as well. Tell her you've lost some smuggled property in the Elven Alienage. Have her 'recover the stolen goods' for you." Fenris paused, staring the dwarf down, with a look in his eyes that promised a world of pain if he failed.

"O-of course, serrah." Anso stammered, his momentary confidence forgotten.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I am so so so sooooo sorry for not updating for so long! I swear I'm not on hiatus! My Internet's been out for the past month and a half now, but I finally got it back up for the time being. Thank you so very much, anyone who has reviewed or favorite/alerted my story. I couldn't begin to describe how much that makes my day and feeds my inner muse when you do that. Thanks once again!_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for the plot, and my own concept of Kira Hawke. Arigato!**_

"But think of all the coin we could make off of this!"

It was very early in the morning, and a very frustrated Kira Hawke was arguing with her friend Aveline, the new recruit for the city guard. Understandably, Aveline was reluctant to assist her friend in the 'recovery' of stolen property, when she technically should be arresting the one who smuggled it in the first place.

Varric, Kira's new dwarf companion, had told her that another dwarf Anso had lost his smuggled property. The amount of coin Anso was offering made the job too good to resist. Kira had already convinced the humorous dwarf to tag along, and her brother had volunteered almost immediately just to get out of the house. So she had her archer and her offense. Now all she needed was someone with good defense and she was set.

"Hawke! I am a city guardswoman! I'm not supposed to help smugglers. I arrest them!"

"But I _need_ you, Aveline! I'm already a mage, so taking along Anders or Merrill would just be redundant. Varric and Carver are already convinced, and I could use some defense to sort of round it out. We'd make the perfect team!"

"Hawke-" Aveline started out pleadingly.

"Please, Av? I _really_ need you." Kira's pale blue eyes began to water as she put on her most desperate look.

"…. Oh fine." The guardswoman sighed in utter defeat. "I honestly don't know how you end up manipulating all of Kirkwall, but whatever you do, it works."

"Oh _thank _you, Av! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I really appreciate it!" Kira grinned.

"You should go prepare, Hawke, if the job is tonight." Aveline sighed again in mock resignation and headed off to the board with her duties attached to it.

"Yeah…" Kira trailed off. It was nice to have Aveline, but she wished that she could spend more time with her first friend since the Blight.

Her bright smile lit up again as her thoughts turned to her other friends. Varric, for one, had to be her best friend of all time. His wit matched hers perfectly, and his jokes always had laughter bubbling up, even in the most perilous of situations.

_'You know, if he wasn't a dwarf, I might have even fallen in love with him,'_ she reflected, giggling.

She made her way into the streets of Lowtown.

"Carver!" She called when she got to Gamlen's house. "Come on out! It's about time to fix that Elven Alienage problem. This city has more thieves and slavers scurrying around inside than this house has rats and mice!"

"In a minute, sister! I'm polishing my sword." Carver's voice floated out of the open doorway.

Kira let out an evil laugh. "Don't polish it _too_ much, brother dear. You might end up drawing blood."

She was rewarded with a strangled sound emanating from their shared room as her younger brother unearthed the hidden innuendo.

"I-I think I'm done now…" She heard him mutter.

"Kira, are you teasing your brother again?" Lyeandra's voice wafted into her ears.

"What are big sisters for, Mother?"

"Oh dear. Try to go easy on him, love. We're all just a bit delicate after Bethany's death…"

Kira flinched. The memories welled up unbidden, flickering across her mind's eye like fire.

_The ground underneath them trembled. The thought of an earthquake crossed her mind, but was quickly dashed as the giant darkspawn charged up the hill. An ogre. The monster roared, running at Lyeandra surprisingly quickly for its bulk. Bethany, amber eyes wide and legs shaking, choked out a quick prayer. The glittering spear of ice formed in her hand, and she threw it at the ogre. Instead of killing it, the bolt enraged the giant darkspawn. The ogre roared again, picking up its newer and much closer target and slamming her into the ground, over and over again. Kira felt each concussion every time her little sister hit the hard-packed earth below. The ogre snarled again and tossed Bethany like a ragdoll into a large boulder, where she limply slid down to the ground with a sickening crunch._

_ "_BETHANY_! NO!"_

Kira opened her eyes, not even aware that she had closed them. Brushing them, she was astonished to see her fingertips wet. Had she been crying? There hadn't been tears since she'd been eight.

Wiping the alien moisture away, she carefully modulated her voice to conceal any of her own pain.

"Yes, Mother," she replied evenly.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Two chapters this time! And they're both dedicated to Eyelash of the Twilight, who absolutely makes my day with his/her reviews! Thank you! :D_

_**Disclaimer:**__** No, I do not own anything except for Kira and the silly little plot twists I put into these stories. Arigato!**_

"Will she be there?" Fenris asked coldly.

"Y-yes, serrah. " Anso sniveled. "She will g-go looking for the 'wares' tonight."

The two were standing inside the relative safety of a dark alleyway, even though it was as early as it was in the morning.

"…. You did well, dwarf. Here is the coin that I promised."

Anso's bulging eyes lit up with greed. Forgetting his fear for a moment, he snatched up the stolen gold from the elf's hand.

"Thank you, serrah, for your kind generosity." The dwarf bowed in only half mockery and began to back away.

"I trust that you will keep our transaction a secret." Fenris's harsh voice stopped Anso in his tracks.

"And what will be the price for my silence?" Emboldened by the gold in his hand, Anso made a nearly fatal mistake.

Fenris flung out his arm, catching the front of the dwarf's tunic and lifting him off the ground. A blue haze began to emanate from the strange silver tattoos on the elf's body.

"Your life should suffice."

Anso trembled uncontrollably. "N-not a word of this s-shall escape my lips, Master Elf! Not a single w-word!"

With a slightly regretful sigh, Fenris released the terrified dwarf.

"Should your tongue ever loosen, do not expect to awaken the next morning with your heart intact."

The elf calmly melted back into the midnight shadows, leaving Anso shaking in the dirt.

A bitter smirk graced Fenris's lips as he contemplated the irony that the dwarf had unwittingly spoke as he raced through Lowtown.

_'Master…. Master Elf….'_

He had never been called _master_ before. Before, when he was still a slave, it had been _him_ calling Danarius _'master'_.

It was something he would not likely forget.

_'Enough. These thoughts lead me nowhere but dark paths. I have an appointment with this Kira Hawke in a few hours, and I can't be late.'_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters except for my concept of Kira :3 Arigato!**_

Kira stared at Anders from her seat at the Hanged Man.

She had asked her chosen team members to meet up at the old tavern before they went on the job so that she wouldn't have to wait around for them all to show up at the site. Now it was near evening, and she was only waiting for Carver to arrive. To pass the time, she busied herself by staring at the random assortment of people located at the bar.

Her eyes had unconsciously fallen on her fellow mage Anders, who was sitting alone at a table, looking for all the world as if his cat had just died. The mage's angular face was set into a deep scowl. His brows were knitted together in a sharp 'V.' His honey blonde hair was tied back in his customary little ponytail, but seemed a bit scruffy. Even his chocolate brown eyes were downcast, and he had dark circles under them, as if he had stayed up all the night before.

"Anders!" Kira called out in greeting, sliding into a seat opposite from the apostate.

Anders looked up in surprise, his face faulting for a split second before it melted into its familiar sunny smile. "Hello, Hawke!"

Kira fixed him with a curious glance. "Are you alright? You look like someone forgot your birthday."

"I was just…. Thinking, I suppose." The mage somehow made himself look both reluctant and eager to share whatever was clearly bothering him.

"Thinking about what?" The younger mage pressed.

"Nothing of consequence."

Kira frowned. She wanted to know what was making her normally cheerful friend upset. Sending him a stubborn look, she sucked in a lungful of air.

"If you don't tell me now, I'll just hold my breath until you do!" She said determinedly.

"_Please_ don't do that!" Anders pleaded, looking slightly on the edge of hysteria.

"Then you'll have to tell me!"

The apostate sent her a helpless look. "I- Alright, fine!" He relented. "I…. I lost a patient today…."

The triumphant smile melted off of Kira's face as quickly as it came.

"Oh Anders…. I'm really sorry." She said sincerely.

"It's alright…. I just wish I could have done more. She was an orphan, you see? She had no food and no coin for normal treatment. She had had a run-in with a mugger or so late at night. There were knife wounds around her leg, and her foot had been completely severed…. She got to me too late to be saved." The mage hung his head. "I couldn't do a thing with all of the blood loss…. I could only ease the pain," he trailed off miserably.

Kira patted his arm comfortingly. "At least you could do _something_," she offered, thinking back to when Bethany had died. There had been nothing _she_ could have done then.

"…. Yes…." Anders murmured softly, staring at Kira's hand still on his arm. The red-haired mage blinked and uncomfortably drew her hand back, shifting in her seat.

"Go get drunk, Anders," she suggested with a quick grin. "It fixes almost _everything_!"

The blonde mage laughed. "This coming from the girl who refuses to have more than three tankards. Thank you, Hawke. You always know how to make someone feel better- or worse."

Something lit up within his brown eyes, making warning bells ring through her mind. So far, it was unidentifiable, and Kira wasn't really sure if she wanted to know what it was or not.

Nodding politely to the blonde man, she slithered back into her original seat next to Varric and across from the newly recruited Isabela, a dusky brown piratess with brilliant, mischievous amber eyes that reminded Kira inevitably of her lost sister.

The minute she had set eyes on Isabela, she knew she had found her new best friend. In no time at all, the two were practically inseparable, and could be seen at the Hanged Man, chuckling at the drunken patrons and joking along to Varric's banter.

"What's _his_ problem, Hawke dear?" The piratess asked curiously, taking a swig from her mug of ale.

"He lost a patient," Kira responded. "Sorry bastard. He should know he can't heal the whole damn world. We should get him something to help him cheer up."

"How delightful! I know _just_ the kind of present that will simply make his day! Just tell me what type he likes!"

"Oh no," Kira groaned. She smacked her forehead. "What have I _done_?"

"You've given us all a great deal of amusement, Hawke." Varric smirked over his tankard.

"Oh Maker…. I hope he has stamina."

Isabela and Varric both roared with laughter.

"What do you mean?" A curious voice drifted towards the bantering trio. Merrill, the young Dalish elf mage, maneuvered her slim body to sit next to Kira.

"Ah, Daisy…. You sure you want to know?" Varric grinned inside his cup.

Merrill's look of confusion eventually cleared. "Oh. It's one of _those_ things, isn't it?"

The three exchanged wicked smiles.

"Oh _no_, sweetheart. We were obviously talking about buying him a cat!" Isabela cried.

Kira smiled at her crew's antics, before hauling herself up out of her chair.

"I think we've waited long enough for Carver. Aveline, Varric, let's go get him and be on our way. I'd like to get this job finished before sunrise."

"Good luck, kitten!" 'Bela winked.

Kira winked swiftly back at her and swished towards the dirty tavern's door.

"Well, Master Varric, Mistress Aveline," she teased. "Perhaps tonight we shall have an adventure!"

"As the lady wishes," Varric bowed mockingly before opening the door to Lowtown.

Kira led her two companions over to Gamlen's house, enduring their critical comments about the neighborhood humorously. Pounding on the door, she yelled out for Carver.

It didn't take long for a familiar head of black hair and deep blue eyes to emerge.

"Sister, please!" Carver grimaced. "Must you make such a clamor?"

"Only to draw you away from that all important polishing, brother dear."

"That's not funny!" He glared at her indignantly.

Kira let that pass.

The now complete team made their way to the Elven Alienage, stopping right outside the wall, in the shelter of a dark alleyway.

"We'll stop here, and wait for darkness." Kira prudently ordered. "There's no knowing exactly what we're going to face, so we may as well use this time to prepare."

"Solid thinking, Hawke." Varric agreed. "I'm almost willing to bet Bianca that things aren't going to go as planned tonight."

"Now there's a first," Carver muttered.

Aveline glanced up at the sky. "I'd say we have about an hour or two until dusk. Let's make the most of our time."

The quartet nodded and sank down against the alley wall, prepping themselves up for the almost certain blood bath. Carver and Aveline drew their swords, sharpening and polishing them (Kira couldn't help her snicker). Varric drew Bianca, his crossbow, and checked for any damage before expertly making a few more bolts. Kira grimaced. She couldn't draw her staff or practice magic out in public- and in daytime no less- or else she'd be hauled off to the Circle without a yea, nay, or maybe. Contenting herself with drawing a short dagger, she carefully honed its edge, and then sat back against the wall, calmly observing her surroundings.

Her senses had become sharper, as they always did before an impending fight. She could hear indistinct murmurs of various Lowtown residents, making out the occasional word or sentence. Every detail of the bricks above Carver's head, who sat across from her, were clear. The fabric of her tight leggings felt coarse underneath her hand. There was a dry, metallic taste coating her tongue that reminded her a bit of blood.

Kira looked up patiently at the darkening sky. It was almost time.

-0-0-0-0-

"Captain."

"What, Lieutenant?" The captain, a pale, middle-aged man with mud colored hair and eyes looked up from his orders coldly.

"We're awaiting yer orders on what t' do with the elf once we catch 'im."

The captain frowned, glancing down at his orders again. "Do yer best t' keep 'im alive. Ye might need t' knock 'is head around a little t' keep 'im quiet. Danarius wants 'im back as quick as we can get 'im, with as little damage as possible. That way, we don't 'ave an unhappy magister on our hands, ye know?"

"Right. I'll see that it's carried out." The lieutenant saluted and withdrew.

The captain sighed and wearily sunk into his chair. Squinting, he tried to make out the last few words in the letter.

_Should he refuse to cooperate, kill him and bring the body back to me._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Here's a new chap! :D Thanks to my reviewers!3_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING except Kira's concept and the plot twists :3 Arigato!**_

It was finally time.

The four companions had waited outside the Alienage's walls until the only illumination that remained was scant moonlight and scattered, guttering torches.

Kira nodded discreetly to her team. There would be no more talking than necessary from that point on. Carefully, she stood up, her leggings and tunic making no more than a slight rustling sound. Aveline's armor creaked quietly as she got to her feet, while Carver and Varric were equally silent as they rose.

A sharp wind blew from behind them, whipping Kira's wild coppery hair into her face.

'_I hope they don't have any dogs that could sniff us out._'

Gently, Kira removed the elegantly carved staff from between her shoulder blades, giving it an experimental twirl. It was made out of blackened steel, with a long, lethal blade at one end and a hard, blunt ball at the other. The others drew their various weapons, looking fierce and ready for battle.

Kira gestured to the Alienage with her free hand, and the quartet stalked in.

The Elven Alienage was completely and utterly deserted.

Kira's eyes narrowed coldly. "According to Anso, this place was supposed to be brimming over with thieves and shades," she sighed tragically. "And I _was_ _so_ hoping for an early birthday present."

Varric couldn't help the smile that cracked over his face.

"There's that abandoned house over there," Aveline pointed out quickly. "That's a very logical place for thieves to hide."

Carver sighed in obvious irritation as Kira moved towards the front door.

Kira glanced over her shoulder. "Was there something, Carver dear?" She asked sweetly.

Her brother favored her with a pugnacious glare. "I was thinking," he snapped in a clipped voice, "That we might not want to waltz on in through the front door like so many trussed up chickens on a silver platter. If that really _is_ a thieves den, then they must have a back door _somewhere_. That way, they could escape any authorities. But that had already occurred to you, didn't it, sister dear?"

Kira stared at Aveline with a look of self-suffering patience, as if to say: '_look at what I have to put up with every day!'_

"You know Junior, that's an excellent point," Varric muttered.

"But if we all go through the back," Aveline whispered, "They'll just escape through the front."

"Hush, you two," Kira murmured as Carver opened his mouth to retaliate. She thought for a moment.

"Varric, Aveline. You two go to the front of the house and wait there. Carver and I will take the back door, since my magic can cover distance, like your Bianca," she smiled tightly at the dwarf. "When you hear my whistle, run through the front door and block off anyone who tries to escape. It'll be nice and tidy, all confined in this one house," she paused, looking her brother straight in the eye. "You know what to do, Carver. I have complete faith in you."

Carver's eyes warmed slightly.

"Alright. Let's move." Giving Varric and Aveline a cheeky wave, Kira quietly rushed through the door Carver held open.

-0-0-0-0-

"Are they all in p'sition?"

"Aye, Captain. Everyone's ready to go. Now all we got t' do is wait."

"Good work, Lieutenant. We'll 'ave the elf in no time 't all."


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Ohmygosh. It's 7:00 am on a Sunday, and I'm so exhausted that I'm about to fall over -_- But since I woke up to an email about someone putting my story on alert **_**again**_**, I thought I'd just put up my newest chapter as a present to everyone who is reading this fanfiction :3 So arigato, mina-san! Y'all make my day and then some!**_

The darkness around her was complete.

For a long, agonizing moment, Kira felt horribly alone. She wondered if Carver had not accompanied her out of spite, then shook the thought off. Carver may not like her all that much, but he would never betray her, especially not after Bethany's death.

Her hopes were confirmed when she heard the soft click of the door and her brother's even breathing behind her.

"Carver?" She whispered, just to be sure.

"Right behind you, sister."

Smiling to herself, she quietly approached a small door, hanging crookedly from its hinges and outlined by soft candlelight.

The two froze as voices emanated from inside.

"When's he a comin'?" A rough voice grated. "I ain't accustomed to this here waitin'."

"Cap'in said at midnight," Another voice growled. "So shut yer mouth, and quit drinking the whole bloody bottle of wine. Y' won't be of any use t' us in that condition."

"'E ain't comin' anyway!" The first voice snapped back waspishly. "If they couldn't catch 'im then, we won't catch 'im now."

Kira drew back from the door and its unruly occupants. She looked up at Carver, nodding her head almost imperceptibly, and was rewarded immediately with the feral grin that slide over his face.

The men were still arguing heatedly when Carver swaggered into the room, his sword casually drawn. Their jaws went slack as he leaned comfortably on his gigantic weapon.

"Well gentlemen," He smiled pleasantly. "Here I am."

The following fight went fairly predictably.

Carver surveyed the now bloodstained room, clinically checking the two unfortunates to make sure that they were really dead.

"Nice job," Kira complemented her brother, uncrossing her arms and leaving her spot by the door.

"I try," he replied modestly.

Kira walked to the back of the room, frowning.

"Those two were probably only scouts of some kind. There's another door here, and there are bound to be more. If they haven't heard us by now, then they're deaf _and_ dead." She grinned. "Sneaking was never really my style, anyway."

"Shall we?"

"Let's."

Kira yanked the door open, revealing dozens of mercenaries, thieves, and shades, conjured up by a blood mage in the corner.

Carver rushed the mercenaries, obviously trusting her to get rid of the magical beings in the room. With a quick, high-pitched whistle for Varric and Aveline, Kira joined the fray.

Two shades converged on her. Without missing a beat, she threw a concussive ball of fire at them, ripping them apart and broiling them into oblivion. She aimed her staff at the blood mage, knowing that as soon as he was dead, the shades would disappear. A bolt of ice, not unlike the one Bethany had tried to kill the ogre with so long ago, leapt from the sharp bladed tip and exploded around the mage's feet, trapping them in frozen water.

_'I hope you get frostbite,'_ She thought viciously.

Rushing the disabled mage, she brought the blade of her staff down towards his head. The blood mage reacted, using one of those handy knives to barely divert the near fatal blow to his skull. Kira danced away from his counter slash, deftly pausing to send another fireball at the mercenaries and thieves starting to overwhelm her brother. She turned back to her quarry, who was now free of her ice, and dodged another slice before retaliating, tearing the blood mage's skin on his chest apart from armpit to hip with a quick and powerful flick of her blade. The mage's horrified howl filled the room, momentarily halting his comrades, and giving Carver enough time to behead the three on his right.

Kira fumbled with her dagger and managed to free it, shoving the short blade underneath the shrieking man's chin.

His scream stopped abruptly, ending in a gross gurgle, and he slid to the floor dead. The remaining shades faded away, and a cry of despair rose up from the surviving manpower.

Without looking, Kira raised her palm and eradicated them all with a chain of lightning.

Carver pouted at the interference.

"We don't have time to fool around, Carver." Kira told him matter-of-factly, using her foot to push off the dead man's body encasing her dagger. "We need to meet up with Varric and Aveline. They should be fighting now, and I'd rather not lose them."

"I don't think these amateurs would be any problem for them, Kira. They were horrible fighters." He sniffed disdainfully. "We haven't had a real challenge in months."

"Let's hope it stays that way, too." Kira was suddenly all business. "Let's keep moving."

The two had to fight their way through dozens of rooms before they met up with their other two comrades.

"Ho, Hawke!" Varric called cheerfully, impaling a thief in the neck with a rapid bolt from Bianca. "How goes it?"

"Just fine, Varric! How many have you gotten?" Kira called back, absently shooting several men with ice bolts.

"Counting the shades? Twenty-four!"

"You'd better keep up then. I'm already at thirty-five!"

"Damn," the dwarf muttered, shooting three more.

_**A/N: Couldn't tell if the fighting scene was ludicrous or not -_-'**_

_**I'm going back to bed _**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Kira gets a bit moody in this chapter. Boy, she has a temper to be reckoned with! Fenris, watch out! D:**_

_**Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything but the plot twists and Kira :3 Arigato!**_

It took them nearly the whole night to eradicate the various mercenaries and mages, but they got the job done with three hours to spare before dawn.

Varric approached the treasure chest in front of them.

"This is it," he said, checking the crude map Anso had given them in advance. "Well, ladies and gentleman, I present to you…." He lifted the lid of the box dramatically.

"….An empty box," Aveline snapped.

"You're kidding," Carver choked out in horrified disbelief. "Why that puny, little-!"

Kira's rage was inarticulate. They had been sent on a wild Maker damned goose hunt! They had placed themselves in danger for _nothing_. Nothing! She never put herself or her comrades at risk without good reason! Why, when she got her hands on Anso she would wring him out until even his _hair_ bled.

"I've seen a lot of dirty cheating in my time," Varric said grimly, "but this has to top the list for the moment. The question is, why in the world would Anso offer _that _much money for something that didn't even exist?"

"That," Kira spat furiously, "is what I'd would love to know."

Carver glanced at his irate sister. "Uh-oh. I know that look. I suggest that we all back away slowly when Kira tracks the dwarf down."

Turning away from the empty box, Kira stomped towards the front door, her mind in a fog of rage and revenge. Aveline hurried along side her, her longer legs easily catching up with Kira's shorter frame.

"Dammit!" Kira cursed under her breath when she looked out of a small peephole in the door.

"What is it?" Varric rushed over towards her, looking concerned.

"More mercenaries," Aveline answered for her, knowing full well that Kira was unable to speak for fury.

"Blast it all!" Carver snarled. "We had everything just right, and someone had to go and screw it for us!"

Kira desperately battled her anger and simmered it down enough to talk. There was no use in losing control when it could cost her the battle- or someone's life. She shuddered to think of losing someone else, just because of her carelessness.

"There's nothing we can do but fight," she said, keeping her voice calm, professional. "We're already exhausted, but we can't wait for them to trap us in here from two sides. We have a slight advantage, though. We know that they're out there, but they don't know that we know as well. There's not much good in an already anticipated ambush."

"Right," Carver agreed. "How many are we up against?" Already, the light of battle shone in his eyes.

_'He'd make a great Warden,'_ Kira thought to herself, drifting for a second. _'They're always ready to throw themselves into a battle, willing to fight at the slightest twitch of a finger.'_

"At my guess, about thirty-five to fifty." Aveline frowned at her brother. "Don't get _too_ excited, Carver. We've been up all day and night with no sleep, and a rash move now could get us all killed."

Carver nodded, his face flat and empty of emotion. His gleaming eyes still gave him away, though.

"Are we more or less briefed?" Kira drawled.

"Sister! Please stop that!" Carver's face was pained.

Kira looked over at him. "Stop what?" She asked curiously.

Her brother's pale face reddened.

"N-nothing."

"A bit of advice, Junior," Varric smirked. "Keep your mind out of the sewers."

"Ready?" Aveline asked.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Kira sighed, then plunged through the suddenly open doorway, staff in one hand and fire in another.

_**A/N: Carver's mind is straying :| into dark, scary places.**_

_**He should get a cookie :D**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Fenris time! Y'all finally get to see him X3 Well, a little bit of him, anyway. Sorry for taking so long to update, I've been taking exams! D:**_

_**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own anything except for Kira and plot twists- and maybe some extra scenes for our two lovebirds here and there… But I digress. :3**_

The captain's face was pale in the sterling moonlight.

"M-monsters," he choked out, staring at the four impossibly strong mercenaries. "T-the lot o' them…."

_The door, as expected, opened suddenly as their quarry realized that the bait they had set was nothing more than that: bait. The captain, and the men outside, of course, had been astounded when a youthful coppery-haired girl hurtled out, staff in hand and already frying several of his soldiers in their armor. Following her was a larger, muscular man with midnight hair and glittering blue eyes. His savage cries frightened the men around him as he sliced through their ranks. Another red-haired woman rushed out, followed by a dwarf with a crossbow. The four began systematically butchering his soldiers, the darkness punctuated by balls of fire or bolts of lightning by the young mage girl._

There was no help for it.

He would have to commit his 'reserves'*.

Shuddering, the captain hurried toward the stairs, where the young mage- obviously the ringleader- and her group were rushing towards. Allowing his fury to boil over his terror at having failed to capture the elf and allowing his good, honest men to die, he stepped in front of them.

The captain's expression was now murderous, and his muddy brown eyes hot with suppressed fury and hatred.

"I 'ave no idea who ye are, friend, but ye've made a _big_ mistake comin' here," he spat.

The woman's icy blue eyes were cold. "That's a lot of bravado for a man who just saw all his men die by the hands of four measly mercenaries. I take it that you're the captain?"

Her accent struck him hard, almost like a slap in the face from its familiarity.

"A Ferelden, ay? Ye don't say." The captain smirked. "Lieutenant! I want everyone left inside the clearin', _NOW_!"

Staggered footsteps resounded behind him, and he turned to see his trusted Lieutenant slumping against the stairs, wet gurgles coming from his torn throat and a pool of blood around his feet.

"Cap…tain-" The lieutenant managed to choke out, before he collapsed of the ground, his eyes blank.

"Your men are dead, and your foolish trap has failed. I suggest you run back to your _master_ while you still can."

The voice was deep, almost a rumble in the elf's chest as he stepped over the body of the captain's lieutenant and in front of the mercenaries.

Now, of all times, their quarry appeared, practically handing himself on a silver platter.

Triumph welled up over the anger in the pit of the captain's stomach. He latched his hand firmly on to the back of the elf's shoulder. "Yer going _nowhere_, slave!" He exulted. "I've got ye now!"

It happened in a terrifying flicker of a moment that seemed to play out in slow motion to the captain. The elf slave turned around, his face twisted in a grotesque snarl. His hand, encased in a clawed gauntlet, whipped back. The markings on his body flared iridescent blue, and his hand seemed to flicker like heat rising from the ground on a summer afternoon. The captain could hear a panicked, pitiful whimpering sound- which he belatedly realized was himself- as the wavering hand plunged into his chest and grasped his heart.

The hand solidified, and there was a terrible ripping sound as the elf pulled it out, clutching the captain's pulsating organ in his claws. The captain felt his body swirling down to meet with the ground beneath him, his vision turning foggy and his thoughts melting into the ultimate darkness.

He had committed his 'reserves' all right; and now both defeat and the Maker faced him.

Faintly, before the blackness of oblivion swallowed him up, he heard the elf snarl,

"I am _not_…a slave."

_**A/N: In case it wasn't clear, the 'reserves' the captain was talking about were basically the captain and his upper officers. He just didn't know that Fen Fen had swept through them like a tornado when he wasn't looking. Poor captain. *sighs***_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Life has been crazy guys. Like, crazy in the super non-fun way. Someone seriously needs to shoot the drama llama asap. Plus, I've been stuck to the toilet for about forty-eight hours puking up a glorious mixture of mucus and scab. Screw tonsillectomies. For real. So anyway that's my sad excuse for not updating in forever._

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age 2 or Bioware, only my concept of Kira Hawke and the occasional plot twist.**_

It had started to rain.

It was no more than a light drizzle, really, but was the kind that steadily seeped into your clothes and proceeded to soak you all the way down to the very marrow of your bones, chilling you to the core.

As if what had just happened before Kira's disbelieving blue eyes wasn't chilling enough.

_'What in Andraste's name did I just see?'_

Kira was no stranger to terrifying things. After all, seeing darkspawn invade your hometown wasn't exactly what one would call a festival. And, of course, seeing your own sister die in front of you wasn't particularly pleasant either.

But never, _never_ had she seen a man punch directly through another man's chest and pull out his still-quivering heart. Oh boy, that was going to give her nightmares tonight for sure.

She took a moment of her well-earned, open-mouthed stupor to take in this new character's appearance.

He was slim, almost to the point of emancipation, but that wasn't surprising to her, considering his long, pointed ears. Elves were notoriously skinny. What _did _surprise her was how muscled he was, despite his lean frame. He looked like he could easily have overtaken the mercenaries they had just killed, if not the blood mages and their shades. Then, there was the silver-white hair. The guy was obviously pretty young- at least her age- his skin dark and smooth except for the _lines_ that ran down his body, from his chin to the tips of his toes; they curled in intricate designs, enhancing the elf's angled physique to create a look of sharp edged ferocity, of untamed wildness, almost like a wolf. And then there was the matter of his eyes; bright green eyes that burned with an even brighter green flame, as if the owner was possessed within himself. There was a pit of pure, passionate hate contained in those mossy orbs, and it made Kira shiver with a cold that had nothing to do with the rain.

'_Damn, that is one sexy, disturbed looking elf.'_

And then, said sexy and disturbed looking elf threw her a curveball.

"I…. apologize."

'_What?'_

"When I asked Anso to provide a distraction for the hunters, I had no _idea_ they'd be so…. Numerous." Handsome Elf-Boy scratched the back of his head sheepishly, somehow coming off as if he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and began to pace.

Kira was pretty sure her jaw was hanging wide open. She knew Carver's was.

'_Ok Kira. Pull yourself together, adults are talking.'_

"I take it that these men were after you, then?" If Handsome Elf-Boy wanted to play it business casual, she could certainly go along with the show.

"Correct."

The elf turned to her, foregoing his pacing in favor of offering her a guarded look and a sort of half-smile. The expression was so off kilter she had to subtly bite her lip to keep from laughing. Poor Elf-Boy. She hadn't spoken but ten words to him and she could already read him like a book. He obviously wanted to trust her, but was still more than a little wary of a stranger. _'Kind of like a feral dog,'_ she mused.

Finally, he seemed to come to a sort of decision, and explained in a voice seemingly too deep for his slight body, "My name is Fenris. These men were Imperial Bounty Hunters, seeking to recover a magister's lost property. Namely, myself." Well, that explained the so-called 'smugglers', though not why they had come after a lone elf in such numbers… "They were trying to lure me into the open. Crude as their methods were, I could not face them alone. Thankfully, Anso chose his distraction wisely."

Kira frowned at the mention of the target of her ire, feeling a vein near her temple begin to throb. "So everything Anso said _was_ a lie. That wretched, skinny, bug-eyed little-!"

"Now, sister!" Carver quickly interjected, recognizing his older sibling's danger signs. He took a step forward, flapping his hand awkwardly as if to place it on her shoulder, and then lowering it without touching her.

Kira let out a long, drawn out sigh, closing her eyes and willing her irritation to calm. When she opened them again, Fenris was staring at her with a look of cautious amusement.

"Not everything was false," he said, spreading his arms in a placating gesture. "Your employer was simply not who you believed."

Kira sighed again. She hated being fooled, even if there was no harm done. "So," she started, absently brushing a strand of wet copper hair behind her ear, "That seemed like an awful lot of effort put in by that magister to find one elf."

"…. It is."

Kira didn't miss the sudden reclusiveness in the elf's response. She pressed on anyway, despite the warning bells ringing in her head. "Does all this effort have something to do with those markings?"

Fenris let out a chagrined huff, before offering her that half-smile again. "Yes. I imagine I must appear strange to you." He lifted his arms, as if examining the exotic, silver-blue lines covering his tanned skin. His sharp face hardened. "I did not receive these markings by choice. Even so," and he smiled bitterly. "They have served me well."

Well Kira couldn't miss _that_ point. Serve him well indeed! No wonder he didn't have any weapons on him. He obviously didn't need any to defend himself.

"Without them…. I would still be a slave."

Kira's head whipped toward him, her eyes widening despite herself before she purposely relaxed her expression.

She remembered slavers coming to Lothering, once. Old men and women, young children, elves and humans, all collared, all chained at the ankles and wrists, all hungry and all dirty. She remembered comforting Bethany as her youngest sibling sobbed at their expense, her amber eyes red rimmed as she, Carver, and Kira all snuck out at midnight, distributing apples and crusts of bread and bits of dried meat. Carver's angry, whispered protests as he helped them, not wanting to get caught, and the slaves' hopeless, dull eyes, muttering thanks as they tore into the provisions. She detested slavers.

She let sincerity seep into her voice. "If they were really trying to recapture you, then I'm glad to have helped."

Fenris blinked, then ducked his head in embarrassment, his words rushing against each other. "I have met few in my travels who have sought anything other than personal gain." He glanced up again, his voice hesitant. "If I may ask, what was in the chest? The one in the house."

"It was emptier than a merchant's soul, Elf. Sorry to disappoint." Varric finally piped up. Kira idly wondered why it had taken him so long to speak in the first place. The good old dwarf was always fast on his feet.

The elf grimaced, looking unsurprised. "I suppose it was too much to hope for. Ah well, at least I know."

"Were you expecting something else?" Aveline asked curiously, the dam of silence now broken.

"I was, but I shouldn't have. It was bait. Nothing more."

Reclusive, again. Elf-Boy sure got touchy about some weird things.

"You know," Kira said, finally letting some of her formidable temper spark up, "You really didn't need to _lie_ to get my help. A good old, 'hey, want to kill some slave hunters?' would have worked just as well as the elaborate- and unnecessary- set up did."

Fenris's gaze locked on hers, green fire clashing with blue ice. His face went stony, and his voice reflected the coldness of her eyes.

"That remains to be seen," he snapped.

'_Temper, temper.'_

The white-haired elf stepped over to the forgotten captain's body, pawing through hidden pockets until he came up with a small sheaf of paper and a wax seal.

He let out a disgusted noise. "It's as I thought. My former master accompanied them to the city." He turned to Kira, his expression shifting once again, a beseeching note entering his deep voice. "I know you have questions,"

"Boy, do we have questions," Varric muttered under his breath, earning him a sharp dig in the side by Aveline's elbow.

"…. But I must confront him before he flees. I," he paused then, his fists clenching and unclenching. His next words came out stilted, as if he wasn't used to having to say them. "I will need your help."

Kira took a mental step backwards and reviewed this elf-man in front of her.

'_Who _is_ this guy? He just randomly shows up, punches a man's heart out, tells us that this whole job was a ruse, and asks us to help him face his master- with hardly _any_ explanation at all! And Andraste's tits, does he have mood swings! Is this Fenris even right in the head? He seems like he has some serious psychological troubles, not to mention trust issues. And maybe anger-management problems, too. I'm not quite sure if I want this possibly psychotic elf around me for much longer. Although, he _is_ rather good looking….'_

Kira suddenly remembered the slavers with their ragged slaves that had come to Lothering again. Fenris _would have_ to be tortured in his head if he had been treated half as bad as they had, and by the looks of it, he might have been treated worse. The elf's behavior was bound to stem from that. No wonder he seemed so edgy around them. He was obviously taking a huge risk in trusting them, as he had no guarantee that they simply wouldn't turn him in as soon as they had the chance.

She groaned inwardly as Bethany's sweet face swam to the front of her mind. She would have helped Fenris without hesitation, kind girl that she was. _'Alright, Beth. I know you would want this. This is for you.'_

Composing her face, she assumed a playfully snarky expression. "Well, if it means killing more slavers, count me in!"

Fenris's face melted into surprise, then relief. "I will find a way to repay you, I swear it."

'_Keep your mind out of the sewers, Kira Hawke.'_

"The magister is staying at a mansion in High Town. Meet me there as soon as you can; we must enter before morning." The elf nodded to her as he melted into the shadows, almost as if he had never been there before.

There was a long moment of silence.

"Maker," Carver finally breathed, his blue eyes alight with awe. "How does he _do_ that?"

Aveline nodded in agreement, her previously expressionless face finally cracking to reveal the astonishment lurking beneath her mask.

"You know, Hawke," Varric said, staring at the spot where Fenris had just vanished, before turning his gaze to stare intensely up at her. "I don't think we're dealing with the most stable kind of person right now. Be careful around him. I wouldn't want you to end up like ol' captain over there."

Kira shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself and pulling her cloak around her tightly to ward off the pervading drizzle. "Believe you me, Varric. I'll step around him as carefully as a mouse would a mabari."


End file.
